1. Field of the Invention
Applicant's invention relates to a novel design for water well casing for use in water well and related systems.
2. Background Information
In water well systems, a casing is inserted into the well to maintain the structure of the well. Typically, a submersible pump is placed within the well and is attached a drop pipe which carries the water from the well to the surface. Since water well casing must extend many feet into the ground, it is advantageous to manufacture the casing in sections to facilitate installation as well as repair. Generally, these sections are held together with glue or a pipe coupling. Unfortunately, the positioning of couplings can take a great deal of effort to assemble properly and the use of glue is time-consuming as glue requires a “set” time. Therefore, with current practices and materials, well drillers do not have the ability to run the casing into the well by simply and rapidly connecting one section of casing to another.
The present invention was designed to solve this problem. In the preferred embodiment, water well casing sections are provided having both male and female ends. The male end of one length of casing section fits within the female end of another length of casing. The male end is slotted and compressible when forced into the female end. The male end provides a lip which locks into a groove in the interior surface of the female end when the male end is fully inserted. The procedure allows the water well casing to be connected easily and efficiently without the use of glue or couplings.
A patent issued to Potts, U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,021, discloses a similar design for metal tubular couplings. Unlike the present invention, Potts discloses a coupling which is resistant to compressive forces and can be disassembled easily when pulled apart. On the other hand, the present invention is designed to resist the pulling or hanging loads which exist when the casing is placed in the well.
A patent issued to Oldford, U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,264 also has similarities to the present invention. However, the Oldford patent discloses a design for metal fittings to be used with metal pipe as opposed to plastic PVC casing disclosed in the present invention.
The prior art is devoid of any similar designs to be used with plastic piping or casing in water well applications.